


Ice Cream

by mayers



Series: Juphelia AUs [3]
Category: Sweet/Vicious (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Family Issues, Fluff, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-29
Updated: 2017-04-29
Packaged: 2018-10-25 05:33:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10757751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mayers/pseuds/mayers
Summary: Ophelia gets the worst news she's gotten in a while: her mother's in town. Fortunately, she has Jules. And Jules can act.





	Ice Cream

"I can't believe you convinced me to do this," Jules sighed, leaning back in her seat and watching the traffic go by.

Jules glanced over to see Ophelia absentmindedly staring ahead at the street, her hands tight on the steering wheel. She would have normally given her friend flack for spacing out, but she could tell Ophelia was in a different state of mind.

When Ophelia first brought up the idea of the two of them pretending to be a couple, she was excited and saw it as some sort of adventure. Ophelia was dreading this lunch, and having this secret act to put on seemed to be a way for her to have fun. To convince Jules even further, Ophelia told her that Jules being there would a buffer, as Bobbi would most likely go easy on Ophelia if she had an audience. Also, it wouldn’t hurt for her mother to assume that Ophelia was seeing such a put-together, mature, and almost _too_ polite girl.

But now, it was really hitting Ophelia that she was on her way to see the woman that seemed to revel in telling her daughter that she wasn’t good enough. Jules rubbed her palms together and cleared her throat.

“It’s gonna be fine,” Jules stated, “It won’t take that long and I’m sure I’ll find a way to talk most of the time.”

“Thanks,” Ophelia said with a forced chuckle, “Just as long as it’s-”

“Not sorority stuff, got it,” Jules stated, remembering Ophelia’s point about her mother still being quite bitter about Kappa being shut down. Ophelia quietly nodded with a grateful smile.

“How did we meet?”

“What?” Ophelia said.

“For our _love_ story,” Jules gushed dramatically, earning a genuine chuckle from Ophelia, “I want it to be very romantic.”

“You cat-called me and the rest is history.”

“Come on,” Jules laughed, lightly shoving Ophelia’s shoulder, “It’s not every day we get to make up an entire relationship.”

“You take the reins,” Ophelia suggested.

“Let’s say it was at a bookstore,” Jules began, “You were looking at...”

“Fifty Shades.”

“War and Peace,” Jules interrupted, shooting Ophelia a look, “And I... came up to you and asked you if you’d read it before.”

“To which I said, ‘Wait, what the hell am I doing at a bookstore?’”

“To which you said, ‘Have you?’” Jules continued, “And the conversation turned into dinner, where I totally wooed you.”

“If anyone wooed anyone,” Ophelia said, with an authoritative finger in the air, “I wooed you, okay?”

“Doesn’t matter who did the wooing,” Jules stated, “Then, we found out we had a lot in common and started dating and we’ve been having the best time ever.”

“The end,” Ophelia approved, “Perfect timing. We’re here.” Ophelia pulled the car into the parking lot of a fancy looking bistro. Once she turned off the engine, she grabbed her phone and checked her reflection in the glass, angling her head every which way. Jules looked at her concernedly, feeling the pressure to put on a believable act.

“Alright, let’s go,” Ophelia said, clapping her hands.

“Don’t worry,” Jules said confidently, “I’ll be the best fake girlfriend the world’s ever seen.”

“I don’t doubt it.”

The two of them strolled into the bistro, and Jules felt Ophelia’s hand quickly find hers. She swallowed hard, looking over at the slightly shorter girl with a smile and tightening her grip. Jules wasn’t sure if Ophelia was holding her hand to give the impression that they were a couple, or simply because she just needed the comfort.

Ophelia scanned the space and found her mother, who was sitting at a table on her phone. Jules followed behind, her hand still in Ophelia’s, and they quickly approached the small table.

“Hello, Ophelia,” Bobbi said once she looked up, a tight smile on her face.

“Hi,” Ophelia mumbled, letting go of Jules’ hand and sitting down.

“And Jules,” Bobbi enunciated, “Lovely to see you again.” Jules gave her a grin, recalling the time she briefly met her while she and Ophelia were getting pedicures. She sat down, scooting her chair closer to the table.

“You know, you’re the first special someone Ophelia has ever let me meet,” Bobbi stated, looking at Ophelia disapprovingly, “How long have you two been seeing each other?”

“A few months,” Jules improvised, looking over at Ophelia to see her uneasy expression, “I hope you didn’t wait here too long.”

“Not at all,” Bobbi answered, flipping a strand of blonde hair behind her shoulder, “I just sat down. I have to say; the service is terrible.”

“Well, they’re pretty busy,” Ophelia interjected.

“I don’t believe in excuses, Ophelia," Bobbi said, "You know that.” Ophelia clicked her tongue and Jules nervously straightened her cutlery. A server came by, handing them their menus. Jules stared down at the cursive lettering, wondering what she could possibly say next.

“Do you have any recommendations?” she asked Bobbi.

“The salmon is great.”

“The salmon it is,” Jules said kindly, placing her menu on the table. She glanced over at Ophelia again, who was silently eyeing the list in front of her.

The next time the server came around, they were ready to order. Bobbi took a sip from her glass of white wine, her long red nails shining in the light, and fixed her gaze on Jules.

“So, Jules, what are you studying?”

“English,” Jules answered.

“Oh, I see,” Bobbi replied, saying more with her uncertain expression.

“She’s on the honor roll,” Ophelia added.

“Very nice." Bobbi nodded. “What do you want to do with your degree?”

“I’m thinking about going into teaching.”

“Well, you still have time to decide,” Bobbi replied. Jules wasn’t sure if she meant that as a reassuring comment or a judgmental one. “Ophelia, you’ve barely spoken. Aren’t you happy to see me?”

“Of course,” Ophelia said unconvincingly, “How’s Dad?”

“You know him,” her mother answered, “Swimming in work, as always. Have your classes been going well? Are you on the honor roll like Jules?”

“We’re not a competitive couple,” Jules stammered with a nervous chuckle.

“Except when it comes to Mario Kart,” Ophelia said, finally cracking a smile.

“Your father and I always pushed each other to do our best,” Bobbi spoke with a raised brow, “We still do. I think the most powerful partnerships have that foundation.” Ophelia’s forehead crinkled and she only nodded in response.

“So, what’s Mr. Mayer like?” Jules asked, picking at her nail polish under the table.

“The most determined man you could ever meet,” Bobbi answered, her gaze quickly focusing on her daughter again, “Ophelia, you don’t need to go so heavy on the eyeliner.”

“Noted,” Ophelia replied with a nervous chuckle, her eyes darting to Jules in embarrassment.

“I just read this article about old cosmetic treatments,” Jules stammered, “Did you know that in the 1950s women used to, like, _constantly_ chew gum because they believed it kept their skin tight? Pretty bananas.”

“Very bananas,” Ophelia retorted, chuckling with Jules.

“Don’t,” Jules laughed.

“With the words you use, I swear, _you’re_ from the 1950s.”

“I’m a time traveler,” Jules replied with wide eyes.

“I see why you two are together,” Bobbi considered, finally flashing a genuine smile.

“What?” Ophelia uttered, quickly looking over at her mother.

“That... wacky sense of humour,” Bobbi noted, “It seems to go both ways.”

“Well,” Ophelia mumbled, “It’s nice to have somebody to laugh at my riotous jokes.” She met eyes with Jules for a second, then quickly looked away. Jules smirked to herself; she rarely ever saw Ophelia embarrassed. And it was quite the sight.

“What is it you like so much about Ophelia, Jules?” Bobbi asked, her resolute gaze on her. Jules quietly exhaled, her mouth parted as she looked over at Ophelia, who was now coyly smirking at her. “I already approve of you, but you can never be too careful.”

“Yeah,” Ophelia said to Jules, “Spill.”

“Well,” Jules began, feeling her pulse quicken, “Like- like you said, she’s funny. Um, and she’s... very caring. Probably the most caring person I’ve ever met. And she isn’t even aware of how much energy she puts into the people she loves. It just seems like second nature.”

“Hmm,” Bobbi said with a nod, “That’s a good answer.” She flashed the woman a small smile, looking over at Ophelia who seemed to be fixated on her. Ophelia smirked and looked down, clearing her throat.

“Pardon me,” a voice behind her said. Jules looked up to see the server holding three plates. He set them down on the table, and Jules straightened her back, placing a napkin on her lap and looking down at the beautiful assortment on the pearl white dish. She thanked the server, and the three of them began eating.

Bobbi’s pasta got her talking about her recent business trip to Italy, and Jules was glad the pressure was off of her. She nodded along, offering all the right reactions to Bobbi’s stories about seeing the Florence Cathedral. Jules was quick to reply, talking about all the places she’d visited and all the places she had yet to visit.

They were near the end of their meal when things started to go south.

“Speaking of trips,” Bobbi mumbled, looking over at her daughter, “Ophelia, we won’t be able to go to New York for your birthday.”

“What?” Ophelia said, her mouth full.

“Your dad has an important gala for work that week,” Bobbi explained, “And I need to be there with him. He can’t miss it.”

“But we had this planned for, like, a year-”

“Well, things come up and you should understand that by now. You call yourself an adult, so act like one.”

“I never see you guys,” Ophelia said softly. Jules stared at her in sorrow, feeling completely powerless. “I was really excited for-”

“Listen, at least I’m telling you in person,” Bobbi sputtered.

“That’s why you asked me to have this brunch?” Ophelia muttered, “So you wouldn’t have to feel guilty about cancelling New York over the phone?”

“Well, I was hoping to talk to you about this alone, but you insisted your girlfriend come.”

“Don’t make her feel awkward,” Ophelia muttered, her brows furrowed.

 _Too late,_ Jules thought.

“Ophelia,” Bobbi stated, “You’re going to need to relax if you want us to have a civil conversation about this.”

“I’m relaxed,” Ophelia answered, biting her lip. Her cheeks had turned pink and her eyes were glossy. Jules wondered what she could do. If she could even do anything.

“The reason you’re even able to go to Darlington is because your father and I work so hard,” Bobbi reminded Ophelia, “So, you need to drop the attitude.”

“It’s dropped,” Ophelia replied, her gaze fixed on her empty plate.

A tense, awkward silence hung over them as the server came around, grabbing their plates and dropping off the bill. Jules went to grab it, but Bobbi quickly shooed her hand away.

“Don’t be silly,” Bobbi chuckled, taking out her credit card.

“Thank you very much for lunch,” Jules said meekly.

“Of course,” Bobbi said.

Once the bill was paid, the three of them stood up and made their way to the bistro’s entrance. Bobbi held her pink clutch close to her chest as she stood across from Ophelia and Jules outside the doors.

“It was nice seeing you again, Jules,” Bobbi said, “And I apologize for my daughter.” Ophelia only exhaled to herself, her arms crossed.

“No apology needed. Ophelia did nothing wrong,” Jules answered, her grin forced, “Take care.”

Bobbi shot one last frustrated look at Ophelia and turned, her high heels clicking with every step she took on the pavement. Ophelia scratched the back of her neck, slowly trudging the other way towards her parked car.

“Are you okay?” Jules whispered, her hand gently grabbing Ophelia’s forearm as they walked. Ophelia nodded, the wind blowing her green hair behind her shoulders.

“I always came second after their jobs, and I knew that,” Ophelia mumbled, “But, this is a new low. Even for her. God, no wonder she was being so freakin’ pleasant.”

“I’m really sorry, O,” Jules said, “You handled that really well, okay? And you have every right to be upset.”

“It’s fine,” Ophelia replied, “I should be used to this.”

They got into Ophelia’s car, and Jules couldn’t stop staring at Ophelia, thinking up ways to cheer her up. Aside from the sympathy, Jules felt a strong sense of admiration for Ophelia. Growing up with parents like that couldn't be easy, yet Ophelia was such a compassionate, warm person.

“Do you wanna get some ice cream and watch Breaking Bad?” Jules finally asked. Ophelia snorted.

“ _This_ is what it took for you to finally watch Breaking Bad with me?” Ophelia mused, “I need to pretend date you more often.”

“So, that’s a yes?”

“That’s a yes.”


End file.
